Muscle parts

Latin name

Latin muscle parts

Group

Etymology

The English name for this muscle is the greater muscle of the loin region. The word psoas comes from the Greek psoa meaning the “loin region.”The term major comes from the Latin maior meaning “greater.” As is typical in anatomical terminology, this comparative reference clues you into the fact that this is a larger version of a similar placed smaller muscle.

Insertion

Action

Nerve supply

Branches from the ventral rami of lumbar spinal nerves (L1, L2, and L3) before they join to form the lumbar plexus.

Blood supply

The muscle receives blood from the four lumbar arteries from the aorta, from small branches of the renal arteries, from small muscular branches of the common iliac artery, and from the deep circumflex iliac artery.